WEBSTER, NY – The Alfred University men's swimming & diving team ended day three of the Allegheny Empire Swimming & Diving Championships at the Webster Aquatic Center as they stay on the heels of Nazareth College and distanced themselves from Hartwick College on Friday evening.
 
The Saxons had two Empire 8 Champions in individual events as Colby Watkins (New Orleans, LA/St. Martin's Episcopal) and Wade LaMastus (Maumee, OH/Anthony Wayne) both had the top finishes of Empire 8 swimmers in their respective individual events. Watkins led a group of four Saxons that combined for 49.5 points in the 100-yard butterfly as he swam a 51.27 to take second overall in the event and first in the E8. Wade's group of five Saxons had the largest jump in points on the day as they combined for 72 points in the 100-yard breaststroke with Wade earning 21 points in second place with a time of 59.45.
 
"The past two days, we have had some pretty awesome results," Head Coach Brian Striker '00 said. "They are all swimming really well and Max was able to put together a great list on 1M tonight. The team has come together and are collectively working and slowly chipping away at the teams in front of us. The DQ in the 400 medley relay was pretty disheartening, but they swam fast; despite the loss of points, well take the momentum from the fast swimming forward. They are swimming out of their minds, I am pleased with where we stand and we will see what we have left for a final push tomorrow."
 
Joining Wade in the 100-breast was Justin Jarmer (Flagstaff, AZ/Northland Preparatory Academy) in sixth place with a time of 1:00.17 with 17 points, Colin Schultz (Spencerport, NY/Spencerport) in eighth place with a time of 1:00.48 for 15 points, Fynn Vossler (Livonia, NY/Livonia) in 10^th place with a time of 1:02.00 for 13 points and Tyler Kemmet (Gloversville, NY/Gloversville) with six points in 15^th place.
 
Fernando Lagos (Tegucigalpa, Honduras/Escuela e Instituo Lincoln) followed Watkins in the 100-fly, tying for sixth place and earning 16.50 points with a time of 51.77. Alessandro Lagos Canales (Tegucigalpa, Honduras/Escuela e Instituo Lincoln) added eight points in 13^th place and Nathan Sponenberg (Bloomsburg, PA/Central Columbia) tacked on four points in 17^th place.
 
AU had another large spike in their points with the four Saxons in the 100-yard backstroke as Paul Tuttle (Irondequoit, NY/Irondequoit) earned All-Empire 8 Second team with a third place finish with a time of 52.85. He scored 20 of the 66 points in the event for AU. William LaMastus (Maumee, OH/Anthony Wayne) added 19 points, swimming a 53.12 right behind Tuttle as Phillip Volaski (Poughquag, NY/Arlington) scored 18 points behind William with his time of 53.23 in fifth place. Sponenberg rounded out the points with nine from his 12^th place finish.
 
Alfred unfortunately loss the opportunity for another point jump in the 400-medley relay as it's A-team was disqualified due to leaving the block early in mid-race. The B-team of Volaski, Wade, Sponenberg and William managed to win the B-finals with a time of 3:26.53 to earn 22 points.
 
The Saxons had three more individual events in which they scored big points. Emiliano Terrazas (La Paz, Bolivia/Saint Andrew's) earned All-Empire 8 Second Team with a third place (second E8) finish in the 400-yard individual medley with a time of 4:15.55, earning 20 points. Gregory Simonian (Grand Island, NY/Canisius) followed in 13^th place for eight points in the 400-IM.
 
Max Sereno (Victor, NY/Victor) added 18 points with a fifth place finish on the 1-meter diving board, scoring 250.05 points. Jordan Fixsen (Fairport, NY/Penfield) had 15 points with their eighth place, 1:47.96 finish in the 200-yard freestyle as they were followed by Andrew Yates (Naples, NY/Naples), earning three points in 18^th place.
 
The Saxons will next close out the Allegheny Empire Championships on Saturday evening.